England: Who will the next generation be?

With the the World Cup only six months away, a lot has been said about the limited crop of English players operating in the Premier League. England coach Roy Hodgson has complained that his talent pool is severely limited by foreign players packing teams in the top-flight.

And with England's golden generation such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Jermaine Defoe reaching the end of their careers, Hodgson and future England managers will all have the same problem when selecting their teams.

Barely 30 percent of the players in action in the Premier League are English and Hodgson is unhappy that overseas imports are used as quick-fix solution by managers, who are blocking the growth of homegrown talent into their first teams.

While there have been suggestions made of introducing a limit on the amount of foreigners in the league as well as a quota on amount of English players in a squad, but there was still enough talent in the league for England to qualify for the World Cup and compete for the prestigious trophy.

GMS has a look at Premier League based youngsters who can carry the three lions to World Cup 2018 and beyond.

Forwards:

- Saido Berahino who plays for West Bromwich Albion has had an outstanding start to the season and has grabbed the attention of bigger clubs vying for his signature.

- Wilfred Zaha of Manchester United was a prodigy at Crystal Palace but has yet to make his mark in the Premier League under David Moyes.

- Raheem Sterling who plays for Liverpool is a pacy forward who can open up defences but still lacks that finishing product. If nurtured under Brendan Rodgers, Sterling can become with of England's best wingers.

- Nathan Redmond. The Norwich City winger who is still finding his feet in the Premier League is blessed with pace and dribbling skill. He made his mark with Birmingham City in the Championship.

- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal is already part of the men's senior team and, with his strong physique and pace, will be an important player for England in the future. Capable of playing on both wings and providing good crosses as well as cutting in from the wing and taking a shot.

Midfielders:

- Jack Wilshere has been tipped to be a future England captain and can fill the void left by Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Blessed with a great passing range and skill set Wilshere has all the qualities to be a England England Legend.

- Jordan Henderson. The Liverpool midfielder endured a difficult start to his Anfield career but has improved under Brendan Rodgers and has become one of Liverpool's key assets this season. His versatility and work rate is what set him apart and he has great leadership ability as he was the former England under 21 captain.

- Tom Cleverley. The Manchester United midfielder has made 11 appearances for England and is seen as the homegrown successor to Paul Scholes. At 24, Cleverley is no longer on the youngster list as has to start producing or be left behind.

- Ravel Morrison. The badboy of English football, Morrison has been called up to the England under 21 side with Roy Hodgson taking a keen interest in the youngster. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce took a gamble with the player who had several off field related incidents and looks to be paying off after his impressive performance against Tottenham.

- Ross Barkley from Everton is another young promising attacking midfielder from Merseyside. He has been unleashed by Roberto Martinez to play in the attacking midfield role and has so far flourished this season.

- James Ward-Prowse. The 19-year-old midfielder has impressed this season for the Saints and has been linked with a move away from the club. Ward-Prowse possesses a brilliant passing range and can open up the most tightest of defences with his accurate passes. But he is also a dead ball specialist. And with the Saints doing well under Mauricio Pochettino, expect a call up sooner rather than later if the youngster can keep on performing at this level.

- Jonjo Shelvey. A future Liverpool prospect and candidate to fill Steven Gerrard's boots, Shelvey left Reds for Swansea this summer to gain more regular playing time. Shelvey is an important box to box to player, while he also has the passing range and a explosive boot to play in more deep lying midfield role and get forward when play allows him to.

Watch out for part two, where we'll discuss possible up and coming English defenders and goalkeepers.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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